The United Nations, through its Resident Coordinator (RC) in Sierra Leone, Dr. Babatunde Ahonsi, is drumming support from development partners through the British High Commission to Sierra Leone, the EU, World Bank, ADB, the Embassy of Ireland, GiZ, USAID and the British Council towards the prioritisation of technical and higher education as aligned to the Medium-Term National Development Plan.
Today, according to sources from the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC), the heads of the institutions mentioned above will be attending and making statements of commitment towards the launch of the report of the Needs Assessment Survey of Higher Education Institutions in Sierra Leone. This event takes place at the Milton Margai College of Education, Goderich Campus with the Minister of Technical and Higher Education (MTHE), Professor Alpha Wurie delivering the keynote address and launching the report.
Chairing the first session of the event will also feature three panel discussions to be moderated by Professors Jonas Redwood Sawyer, Abdullah Mansaray and the Deputy Minister- MTHE, Mr Sarjoh Aziz-Kamara who is the UN RC. There will also be a presentation of the four clusters of the report and an action plan.
They will each be moderating a panel on assuring quality in technical and higher education, building a resilient higher education ecosystem, and sustainable resource mobilisation for higher education institutions respectively.
Dr Joseph Sherman- Kamara, Executive Secretary of the TEC, the institution organising the launch, says the report also gives a fair appraisal of the existing situation and what is needed for the transformation of the higher education institutions in Sierra Leone.
TEC Chair, Professor Aliyageen Mohamed Alghali stated that the recommendations in the Needs Assessment Report are in line with national and international benchmarks. It also serves as a strategic framework that aims to deliver on set goals for inclusive and sustainable development.
The event, it is hoped, will afford key stakeholders the opportunity to discuss what needs to be done to reposition tertiary education as a driver of economic transformation and social progress in Sierra Leone.
Sierra Leoneโs Medium-Term National Development Plan 2019-2023 places premium on free quality school education programme, a strategic priority to provide a solid base to enhance human capital development and facilitate the transformation of the economy.
This priority is aligned with the UN Sustainable Development Goal 4 โ Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong opportunities for all. According to the UN RC, โIt is important to place higher education on the public policy agenda squarelyโ.
